Rail joint



Aug. 20, 1929. R. w. SCHULTZ 1,125,105

RAIL JOINT Filed Aug. 10. 1926 R.W5cfud82 I amoewvtoz Gam a PatentedAug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed August 10, 1926. Serial No. 128,4I5.

This invention relates to a joint for railway rails, one of the objectsbeing to provide simple and efficient means for joining the rails at themeeting ends thereof without the use of ordinary fish-plates and withoutthe use of the bolts commonly employed for holding fish-plates to therails.

A further object is to provide a rail joint which will support themeeting ends of the rails so as to prevent the car wheels from poundingwhile passing over the joints.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the inventionhas beenshown.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the rail joint, one of the railsengaged thereby being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a top plan View.

Figure 3 is a side elevation.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a baseplate providing a chair for the rails R directly under the meeting endsthereof, it being understood, however, that one of these joints can alsobe placed wherever desired between the ends of the rails. The base plateof the chair 1 is provided with an upstanding jaw 2 designed to fitsnugly under the ball or head of each rail and provided with an overhang3 whereby the base flanges of the rails will be overlapped and the jawcan fit snugly against the rail web. Jaw 2 has depressions 4 in the topthereof adjacent the respective side faces, there being threaded bores 5extending downwardly from the shoulders 6 provided by these recesses.These bores are adapted to receive set screws 7 and lock nuts 8 aremounted on the set screws for engagement with the shoulders 6 so as tohold the set screws against unscrewing. The set screws seated in thesebores are adapted to project downwardly through the overhang 3 so as toengage the base flange of the rail as shown in Figure 1.

Base 1 has a transverse flange 9 extending upwardly therefrom and spacedfrom the jaw 2 a sufiicient distance to allow the base of the rail R tobe lowered onto the plate 1 between aw 2 and flange 9. The rail is thenadapted to be shifted laterally to bring one of its base flanges underthe overhang 3 as shown in Figure 1. Flange 9 is undercut as at 10 toprovide a longitudinal groove and this groove is adapted to receive arib 11 formed along the outerside of a slidable block 12 which isinsertible longitudinally between flange 9 and the rail R. Block 12 isso shaped as to fitsnugly against the web of the rails and against theunderside of the head or ball of the rails and this block also has anoverhang 13 adapted to lap one of the base'flanges of the rails as shownin Figure 1. Bores 14 are provided within the block for the reception ofset screws 15 and each set screw has a lock nut 16 for engaging the topsurface of the block whereby the set screws are held against unscrewing.

The base plate 1 extends outwardly beyond the jaw 2, this projectingportion, indicated at 17, being provided with apertures 18 for thereception of spikes or the like used for fastening the base plate to atie. The base plate is also extended outwardly beyond the flange 9 asshown at 19, this projecting portion being formed with fastenerreceiving openings 20. Openings 21 are also formed in the base plateclose to the flange 9 and are adapted to aline with correspondingopenings 22 formed in the block 12. Thus after the block has beenassembled with the rail R and base plate as described, spikes, some ofwhich have been indicated at S, can be inserted into the openings 22 and21 and driven into the tie supporting the plate.

It will be apparent that by providing a means such as described therails can be securely held to the ties and to each other without usingbolts extending transversely to the webs of the rails. When the setscrews 7 and 15 are tightened against the base flanges of the rails theywill bite into the upper surfaces of said flanges and insure properfastening of the parts. While the set screws are being tightened againstthe base flange of the rail the block will be forced tightly at one sideagainst the under surface of the head of the rail R while the other orouter side of the block will be caused to bind tightly against theadjacent portion of the flange 9.. In other words the flange and thehead of the rail constituting retaining means for holding the blockagainst upward displacement while the set screws are being forceddownwardly against the base flange of the rail.

The structure constituting the present invention not only servesproperly to connect the rails to each other and to a tie but they alsoprovide efficient supports for the heads or balls of the rails so thatthey will not sag in use. Consequently pounding of tie wheels passingover the joints will be eliminated.

What is claimed is:

A device of the class described including a base plate, a transverse jawthereon having an overhang for lapping the base flange of a rail bearinglaterally against the jaw, a transverse flange upon the base plate, theshortest distance between the transverse jaw and the transverse flangebeing greater than the width of a rail, thereby to receive the railmovable if downwardly onto the plate, a block insertible longitudinallybetween said flange and the engaged rail, inter-fitting means upon theblock and flange for holding said block at its outer side against upwarddisplacement relative to the flange, that side of the block engagingtherail being held against upward displacement by the head of the rail,means extending through the block and base plate for holding themassembled, and set screws eX- tending through the block for engagementwith one of the base flanges of the engaged rail thereby to bind theblock against the under-surface of the head of the rail and against theengaged portion of the flange, both the jaw and block constituting meansfor supporting the head of the rail.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afflxedmy signature.

RICHARD WV. SCHULTZ.

